Sunday, April 15, 2012

Under Ice

Oh, which way to go with this one?  Use Kirsty MacColl's "Titanic Days" or a song that has the word 'sink'  or 'ice'?  Well, you can see in which direction I went.

Today it's been 100 years since the sinking of the Titanic. Why else would they re-release that crappy movie in 3-D?  Oh that's right - for the almighty dollar!

Once again, I'll bring up my OCD stuff.  All those books I would read on one subject, depending on the mood - reading all about the Titanic was my 5th grade thing.  I had moved onto the Warren Commission and any JFK assassination book by 6th grade and Manson by 7th.

Yes, I was a disturbed child.

I was actually somewhat excited when the movie Titanic was slated to come out, however long ago that was. I would see previews of the actual ship and thought it seemed cool - then I heard about the storyline and who was in it and I became less and less interested in it.  Then I was subjected to heard Celine Dion scrodel her way through that wretched song two or three million times, before the movie was even released, and I was out.

I have caught parts here and there on cable and will watch the boat break in half and sink, well, because that's the only part I truly wanted to see.  Kate Winslet nekkid The personal stories, fact or fiction, were of little interest to me.

By all accounts, the sinking part was fairly accurate to eyewitness accounts and to how experts found the ship years later.  Of course all of that was marred by floating on doors and rape coach's whistles signaling rescue boats. Oh, and the incorrect star pattern in the sky.  Yes, another reason to love Neil deGrasse Tyson.

A few years back I read of cruises that were to take place on this anniversary - leaving port the same day and taking the same route, getting to the site at the time of the mishap and sinking. I suppose it is not any worse than hitting Dealey Plaza, Ground Zero or oh say, passing by Sharon Tate's house.  (check, check and check!)

My obsession with the Titanic ended decades ago, though I will always read an article about it when one appears in the paper, but I don't actively seek this subject matter out anymore.

However, I am digging the Titanic for Dummies book. They truly do have a Dummies book for everything, though this one could be one page:  it was built. hit an iceberg. took on water. sank. many drown. Carpathia.   Boom: done!



.....though the one Dummies Rebecca used to joke about actually exists.....although it seems to be a parody.


Wow, it seems I've gone off-topic..........again.

I do love the stories about the men stoically staying on board and going down with the ship, but you know it's a lie. They probably cried like little girls - and rightfully so.  What a fucking horrible way to die - drown and freeze to death!!!  But it makes for a more palatable tale, if that's possible.

I think the pillaging of the Titanic site is horrible. Leave it alone.  Viewing it is ok, but anything else is grave robbing.


On a funny note....as I was looking for title images (since I can't photo the ship myself!), I came upon this one, which made me laugh and laugh and laugh and then laugh some more.




Song by:  Kate Bush

4 comments:

cb said...

I hear they added CGI characters, Like Molly Brown. She slithers next to Han Solo in this version.

Anonymous said...

I didn't like the stories much but James Cameron has done an amazing amount of research and is primarily responsible for understanding and explaining how the shop sand. If you get the chance, you really should see the dock James Cameron: Final Thoughts on the Titanic 2012.

It seems he really tried to be as accurate as possible in depicting how the ship sank and what people tried to do survive. In the 15 years since they made the move, they have learned new info about the sinking - it' could make you that little boy all over again.

ps. I did dinosaurs then Kennedy and always mixed in so Guinness World Records.

Birdie said...

Fourth graders in Indiana are required to do a Knowledge Fair exhibit and become an "expert" on one subject. My daughter picked "Titanic" months before all the hoopla and did the fair one week before the movie opened. Her display was a huge hit, as you might imagine. (She moved on to Manson in high school, too. Hmm.)

While I loved the accuracy and spectacle of the movie, I hated Rose and Jack and their entire story line. Puhlease. Cameron needs to let go of scriptwriting altogether. If he gives to a good writer, he might make the masterpiece that eludes him.

Wonder Man said...

sad that folks went to see this